Pride and Gratitude: June 2017

As another school year comes to a close, as Commencement passes, and as the senior class moves on to new challenges and new adventures, I am left with a palpable sense of pride for the work of our schools. I am grateful for the support of the community and the commitment of our staff that make it all possible.

In our region and throughout the country, public education is facing mounting challenges. States continue to demand increased performance while decreasing the financial and other supports needed to achieve ambitious targets. At the national level, discourse is more focused on corporate-style re-structuring than good pedagogy. National conversations about common standards and best practices have diminished, replaced with soundbites of privatization, vouchers and for-profit charter schools.

As I reflect on this school year and think about the next, I am struck with gratitude to be an educator in a community that consistently makes quality schools possible. In Lenox, we are fortunate to have resources and the commitment to use resources for the priority of education. This commitment has resulted in public schools that work, public schools that consistently meet their mandate of educating while simultaneously providing a rich array of opportunities to young people.

I am grateful to work with a dedicated and talented staff who know our students and share ownership for their success.

The work of an educator is unlike any other job. It taxes content knowledge, developmental knowledge, personal knowledge of students’ strengths and interests and keen interpersonal skill – all at the same time, every class, every day.

Thank you to the staff of the Lenox Schools for your dedication and hard work. I hope the summer awards you the opportunity to recharge and refresh.